Middle East Technical University was founded by Vecdi Diker under the name "Orta Doğu Yüksek Teknoloji Enstitüsü" (Middle East High Technology Institute) on November 15th, 1956, to contribute to the development of Turkey and the countries of Middle East by creating a skilled workforce in the natural and social sciences. "Arrangements and Procedures as for the Foundation of METU, Law No 6387" was enacted on January 29th, 1957. Finally, "Foundation Act No 7307", which sets forth the particular standing of METU and describes the conditions rendering METU as a juridical entity, was enacted on May 27, 1959.

METU's presence brought about new methods and introduced innovations to the Turkish higher education system, manifesting METU as a pioneer of modern education nationwide. In its earliest years, one part of METU was located in a small building that belonged to the Social Security Office of Retirees at Kızılay's Müdafaa Street; the other part was in the barracks behind the TBMM (Grand National Assembly of Turkey). In 1963, the university moved to its current location west of Ankara city center, creating the first university campus of Turkey.



In 1956, the Department of Architecture initiated the first academic program at METU. In the spring of 1957, the Department of Mechanical Engineering launched its academic program. At the onset of the 1957—1958 academic year, the faculties of Architecture, of Engineering, and of Administrative Sciences were established. In 1959, the establishment of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences was completed. The Faculty of Education launched its academic program in 1982. Today, there are a total of 41 undergraduate and 143 graduate programs taught in the faculties and graduate schools of METU.

METU has 41 academic departments, most of which are organized into 5 faculties. These are responsible for the undergraduate programs.

Faculty of Architecture: Architecture, City and Regional Planning, Industrial Design

Faculty of Arts and Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, History, Mathematics, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Statistics

Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences: Business Administration, Economics, International Relations, Political Science and Public Administration

Faculty of Education: Computer Education and Instructional Technology, Educational Sciences, Elementary Education, Foreign Language Education, Physical Education and Sports, Secondary Science and Mathematics Education

Faculty of Engineering: Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Engineering Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Food Engineering, Geological Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Mining Engineering, Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering

Over 20,000 students registered to METU in the 2003-2004 academic year; approximately 25% of these were enrolled in graduate programs. METU has 41 undergraduate programs within the faculties of Engineering, Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Economic and Administrative Sciences, and Education, and there are 93 masters and 51 doctorate programs available in the graduate schools of Natural and Applied Sciences, Social Sciences, Informatics, Applied Mathematics, and Marine Sciences. Marine Sciences conducts its academic program studies on the Mediterranean coast in Erdemli, near Mersin.

The language of instruction at METU is English. All enrolled students are required to have a degree of proficiency in English for academic purposes, and this is assured by a proficiency examination before the commence of studies. Students with unsatisfactory knowledge of English follow a preparatory English education for one year, given by the METU School of Foreign Languages.

Most of the engineering departments at METU are periodically reviewed and deemed "substantially equivalent to similarly titled and accredited programs in the U.S.A." by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, the recognized U.S. accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology.

As of 2004, the university employs 647 faculty (professors, associates professors etc.), 321 academic instructors, and over 1,400 research assistants. The number the alumni exceeds 500,000 (about 350,000 having completed undergraduate programs).

The student life at METU is marked with the activities of student societies, political protests and festivals. The main campus hosts the annual METU Spring Festival, which is a five day long series of concerts and exhibitions and during which an opposition between the students and the school authority about the excess consumption of alcoholic beverages on campus is known to occur.

There are various traits shared by METU students, including the usage of an English - Turkish jargon (apparently stemming from the fact that English is the language of instruction) covering academic processes and student life, which might not be liked much by the students of other schools, and the omnipresent "hocam" (literally meaning "my teacher"), which is used by METU students to address anyone from bus drivers to senior faculty members.